The New York Knicks completed some of their main priorities of the offseason, but one thing that may continue to loom into the season is the contract situation with All-Star power forward Julius Randle.
The Knicks still have an extension to work out with Julius Randle
Randle has been eligible for a four-year, $181.5 million extension since Aug. 1, but has still not signed any sort of new contract with the Knicks, and training camp is only two weeks away. New York wants to bring Randle back, but signing him to the max extension could place a hard cap on their financial flexibility, so it will be a difficult negotiation unless he is willing to take a large pay cut. As time goes on, it is suspected that the two sides will enter the season without a new deal.
Randle has a player option for next season which he is likely to decline if he doesn’t have an extension in place before then. That would set him up to be an unrestricted free agent for the first time since 2019. SNY’s Ian Begley noted that an extension is dependent on how impactful the organization feels Randle is to winning.
“The only opinion that matters here is the one that belongs to Leon Rose,” Begley said. “If he believes the Knicks can win a title with Randle, then No. 30 will be here for this season and the foreseeable future. If he doesn’t think Randle gives them the best chance to win, then he’ll have to trade him.”
- Knicks ripped for handing out $212.5 million contract extension
- Knicks planning to deploy All-Star big man in new role this season
- Knicks reportedly not close to reaching contract extension with All-Star power forward
Extending Randle will be dependent on two factors
New York has expressed no interest in trading Randle up to this point, but as the season progresses that mindset could change depending on a few factors, aside from the aforementioned financial impact. The first factor being that he is coming off of shoulder surgery that ended his 2023-24 season after just 46 games, so it remains to be seen if he will return to his best form coming off a significant injury. The other factor is playoff performance, as his first two rodeos on the biggest stage with the Knicks have been filled with struggles.
In the short time that he got to play with OG Anunoby last season, Randle was playing a dominant and consistent brand of basketball with the hope that he would endure a stronger playoff run. However, the injury prevented him from getting that opportunity. Now, he comes into the new season with Anunoby back and Mikal Bridges now in the fold as well, so Randle is set up with a great supporting cast to have a strong postseason.
Randle is one of the team’s most important players, as he averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and five assists per game last season and has made the All-Star team three times in the last four seasons. This upcoming season will tell a lot about whether or not Randle is replaceable or should be a part of their long-term core going forward.
The Knicks might have a new No. 2 scorer